HomeNews Soccer Hall of Fame Receives Inaugural WPS Ball
Soccer Hall of Fame Receives Inaugural WPS Ball
Soccer Hall of Fame
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ONEONTA, NY (April 27, 2009) – The National Soccer Hall of Fame has received the First Goal Ball from the Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) Inaugural Match played on Sunday, March 29th between the Los Angeles Sol and the Washington Freedom at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. Allison Falk of the Sol scored on a header in the 6th minute of the game off a free kick from the right wing played by Aya Miyama. Also arriving with the First Goal Ball were the official line-up cards submitted by each coach prior to the game.
“The WPS is off to a tremendous start,” Hall of Fame President Steve Baumann said. “We are excited to be able to display the First Goal Ball from the WPS Inaugural Match. It represents a signature moment for women’s soccer in America and a new historic story for the game.”
When talking about the league in general, Baumann stated, “We know they are working hard at making this the best women’s soccer league in the world. They have great players and an experienced staff. We encourage all American soccer fans to cheer on these teams and women.”
WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci, who presented the ball in pre-game to Hall of Famer Mia Hamm, the Hall of Fame’s representative at the match, said: “The WPS is taking the first step in creating a new history in women’s soccer. By sending this ball to Oneonta, we memorialize the first goal in WPS history. The league looks forward to creating more moments of history for American soccer and to contributing more memorabilia to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.”
The WPS Match Ball will go on display in early May.
About the Hall of Fame
The Mission of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum is to Celebrate the History, Honor the Heroes, Inspire the Youth and Preserve the Legacy of Soccer in the United States. The Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution.
Located in Oneonta, NY, the National Soccer Hall of Fame opened a new 30,000 sq.ft., state-of-the-art multimedia museum in 1999. The Hall of Fame tells the story of soccer in America through artifacts, photographs, video and written narratives. The main VideoWall portrays some of the greatest moments and the greatest goals in soccer history as well as live soccer action from the World Cup, MLS, WPS, and U.S. Soccer matches. The Hall features an extensive interactive, youth oriented Kicks Zone, including a kid-sized indoor field, where visitors have fun kicking, heading the ball along with playing soccer video games. Unique and rare artifacts on exhibit range from the Dewar Challenge Cup, the oldest team trophy in U.S. sport, to the Women’s World Cup won by the USA in 1999, the uniforms of Pele and Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly’s golden shoes, and NASL championship rings. In addition to the interactive Museum, the National Soccer Hall of Fame’s 61-acre complex boasts the Kicks Hall of Fame Museum Store, a research library, four world-class soccer fields and office/meeting facilities. Visit the Hall of Fame at www.soccerhall.org
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